June 3rd wedding
by stevieLUVSAlex
Summary: The wedding (personal vows included) that SHOULD have happened in season 7. Taken in the present day. L&L pairing. One shot.
**A/N: THIS CAN BE A SEQUEL TO 'JUNE 3RD' OR A STAND ALONE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ ONE TO UNDERSTAND THE OTHER. SO FOR THOSE WHO WANTED A SEQUEL AND THOSE WHO WANTED A STAND ALONE, IT SUITS ALL.**

 **ENOUGH RAMBLING. ENJOY.**

Lorelai stood before her two best friends. Her daughter, Rory, who was beaming with pride and her business partner, Sookie, who was tearing up as she looked at Lorelai in her wedding dress.

"Awww, Lorelai…"

"Mum! You look beautiful," Rory sighed.

Lorelai blushed.

It was really happening. She was about to marry Luke. This had been in the works for a decade. He was the man she wanted to grow old with, to wear matching jogging suits and raise more children, though their time to do that was certainly limited. Neither one of them were getting any younger.

"Luke is going to collapse when he sees you in this," Sookie said, clapping her hands with excitement. "It's perfect! It's just so perfect! You're perfect and he's perfect! And you're perfect together. I told you this day would come. I always knew that you and Luke were made for each other. Didn't I say this day would come?"

Lorelai glanced at herself in the mirror, staring back at the reflection of a woman dressed in a flowing white gown and a smile she didn't recognise. The dress was much like the one she had originally chosen when they had planned it the first time. It had a train, a veil and the dress itself was beaded with pearls, but it was slightly updated to the modern appeal. Lorelai felt like a princess.

 _This must be what pure joy feels like_ , she thought.

"Mum," Rory said. "Are you ok?"

Lorelai, speechless for the first time ever, simply nodded. "I'm happy, kid. I'm so happy."

Rory and Sookie exchanged smiles.

"Ok, let's get you out there then."

Lorelai nodded.

L&L – L&L – L&L – L&L – L&L

The soft melody of the traditional wedding march played in the background. It wasn't exactly what Lorelai would have picked for herself, but as she walked down the red carpeted isle, she found the music soothing. Her eyes locked on Luke, who shot her that warm beautiful smile that had always melted her heart. Was he aware of the damage he could do to hearts everywhere? Had he known that, would he smile more?

In the front row, where the guests we seated, were April, Liz and of course Richard and Emily, who surprisingly over the last decade had come to accept Luke, though Lorelai was still convinced they were waiting for the day when she and Luke would part ways. _Again_. The rest of the town's quirky characters were in the audience too, happy to share this long-awaited day. Lane, Michel, Kirk, Miss. Patty, Taylor, Babette, Mrs. Kim, Zach, Brian and Gill. There was no one from the town in which Lorelai had raised her daughter, missing in the sea of familiar faces.

She reached the end of the isle. Rory standing to one side and Sookie beside her. Lorelai positioned herself next to Luke, who was dressed handsomely in a tuxedo. She had never seen him look so nervous or so sexy. It was a nice combination. On his side, Luke had Jess as his best man, and TJ as his groomsman (TJ's idea of course).

They all looked like they stepped out of a fairy tale.

Lorelai realised the effort it would have taken on Luke's part to organise this, to have the town remain silent for so long, to make it such a surprise and so incredibly perfect. It only proved to Lorelai, the lengths that Luke would go for her.

Luke took her hands in his. They were trembling slightly, which relaxed her a little. "Hi," he whispered. "Thanks for showing up."

"Awe, well, thanks for inviting me."

The celebrant baffled on for a few minutes, saying words that neither Luke nor Lorelai would remember looking back on this day. Then he gave Luke the opportunity to say the vows he had prepared.

Lorelai gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Lorelai, since the moment I met you, I wanted you in my life. It didn't matter if I was the guy serving you coffee or the person you ranted to when things weren't going your way. It didn't matter to me, as long as you were in it. I told you once that life without didn't feel real and I meant it. Even when we spent that miserable year apart, I still wanted to see you every day, I still wanted you IN my life. I know I am a better man having you with me. I was wrong to ever say that you don't belong with me. I am nothing without you. And the fact that we are standing here today, _here_ … I just- I am so lucky.

"I am not naïve to think that we won't fight, I know we will, but I will NEVER again let you walk out of my life, not ever, because I love you so damn much. If you are not in my life, Lorelai, I don't want to be living it either. I want to wake up beside you every day from here on in. I want to serve your coffee and complain about your eating habits. I want to try and switch your coffee to decaf just to see if I can fool you. I want to listen to your bits about donut rhymes and movie quotes. I want to spend my life catching up to you, Lorelai. I want to give you everything you ever wanted. The WHOLE package, and I won't ever try to change a thing about you. I am _all_ in."

Lorelai's face was stained with tears. That was Luke, the man who accepted her unconditionally, craziness and all, and still got her on a level that no one else ever did. He understood her needs and adapted accordingly. For the last decade, he had never let her down when it counted.

"I know you didn't expect this to happen today, so you don't have to say any-"

Lorelai smiled and touched his arm. "It's ok. I _want_ to."

Luke nodded. He looked nervous, like a school boy about to ask out a girl for the first time.

Lorelai took a moment. "I don't know when I fell in love with you, Luke. I don't think it was one moment in time, I think it was a series of them. I just remember loving you, I just didn't realise early on that my heart had picked you as the love of my life. It was permanent for me, and I couldn't change that even when I tried to ignore it. Every time I came into the diner, and you poured my coffee and complained about the amount of junk food I consumed and listened to one of my bits and loved my kid and made me a Santa burger and closed the diner just to take me to the hospital, I knew you were a good man. The BEST man. Even when you hated me I knew you loved me. You ALWAYS came through for me when it mattered."

Luke squeezed her hand, smiling as he listened.

"I know the world would be worse off without you in it. You don't give yourself enough credit for all the good deeds, and there are SO many of them, Luke. You're generous and kind and loyal and unbelievably selfless. You see a problem and you go in and fix it, even if it's an inconvenience for you. It takes you time to make a decision, and while I am impatient, you are reasonable and thoughtful and you balance me out. I need that in my life, Luke. I need you."

He nodded.

"I have tried being your friend, I have been your enemy, your girlfriend, your fiancée and at one point I was nothing at all… and at the end of the day, all I want to be is your wife. Now that I know who you are inside and out and who I am when I'm with you, nothing else is good enough for me but this. I want to be with you. I want to be IN your life, Luke, so indented that we are one and the same. I promise that this time around, I am _all_ in."

There was not a dry eye in the house, as the celebrant announced them husband and wife, and the people of Stars Hollow yelled out in unison. "FINALLY!"

L&L – L&L – L&L – L&L – L&L

The cake was of course made by Sookie. It was the largest and most luxurious cake that Lorelai had ever seen, with hand crafted purple flowers lining the edge (edible of course). On the outside, it looked traditional but on the inside it was a chocolate mud cake with assorted candy and lollies. In perfect Gilmore fashion.

Luke and Lorelai were both extremely happy with the turn out.

Emily and Richard approached Luke and Lorelai towards the end of the reception.

"It was a nice ceremony," Richard nodded.

"Thanks, dad."

"You're a fine man, Luke."

"Yeah, he is," Lorelai smiled, staring up at the man she could never let go of. "My _husband_." It felt so wonderful to be able to use that title. Luke leaned down and gave her a kiss.

He turned back to his now father-in-law. "Thank you, Richard."

"Lorelai," Emily addressed. "May I have a word with you. In private."

A sentence that began like that was never a good sign. "Am I going to need to sit down for this or should I immediately pull out the straitjacket? Because I am sure I can find one around her somewhere. I wouldn't like to think that you choose this particular day to tell me I am adopted."

"You're not adopted, Lorelai, much to your dismay."

Lorelai sipped from the champagne glass in her hand as her mother led the way.

Emily stopped a short distance away from the other guests. "I wanted to apologise to you, Lorelai."

Lorelai spat out the champagne in her mouth and it sprayed all over her mother's dress. "You _what_?!" she choked.

Emily rolled her eyes, and pulled out a handkerchief seemingly out of nowhere and began to dab herself. "Oh, for goodness sake's Lorelai! Is it so hard to believe that I admit it when I'm wrong?"

"Uh, YEAH!" Lorelai stated matter-of-factly. "I have never heard those words come out of your mouth in my entire life and I don't think anyone else has either."

"There's a first for everything," Emily muttered.

"In fact," Lorelai ranted. "Can I get the camera man out here so he can film this conversation? Of course you'd have to repeat what you just said, because there is NO way anyone is going to believe it when I post it on Facebook and-"

"Lorelai!" her mother snapped impatiently.

Lorelai pouted. "Ok, no Facebook. Instagram then."

"Honestly, Lorelai, I have no idea what you are talking about most of the time."

"It's- never mind. You were apologising…?"

"I was wrong to try and break up you and Luke."

That was the last thing in the world she ever thought she'd hear come out of Emily Gilmore's mouth. That was so long ago now, it seemed like it was someone else's life. Emily and Lorelai had had many battles in their relationship since then, and the majority of the time it was the same old reason. Emily was still Emily to some degree (always thinking she knew better than anyone else), and Lorelai was still Lorelai (determined to rebel whenever the opportunity presented itself). "Mum, I-"

"No, just listen. I know I do things sometimes that you consider meddling, but I only ever do it because I think it's the right thing for you. I always have your best interests at heart."

"I know, mum."

"I didn't know Luke then," she admitted. "I didn't know all the things he did for you. I didn't know how close you were or how much he cared about Rory. I didn't know how much he loved you. I just saw a man who worked at a greasy spoon and wore hideous clothes. I didn't see what you saw. I'm sorry I ever tried to come between the two of you. I want you to be happy, Lorelai, and clearly he is the only man good enough for you."

Lorelai smiled, feeling a strange sense wash over her. Could it be respect for her mother? This was possibly the kindest thing her mother had ever said to her. To accept Luke this way, meant more to Lorelai than she would ever be able to say in words. It wasn't just about Luke, it was her mother's way of accepting that Lorelai was going to follow her own path. It was the biggest gift Emily could ever give her.

Instead of using some clever quip, Lorelai took a step forward and closed the space between them, wrapping her mother into a hug. For the first time in her life, it didn't feel awkward or forced. It felt _good_.

Richard and Luke approached them, forcing the two women to release each other.

"Emily, we must get going," Richard announced.

"Yes. Alright."

Lorelai and Emily exchanged smiles, and Lorelai saw the mist in her mother's eyes. Perhaps it was a reflection of her own emotions.

"We'll see you both at Friday night dinner in three weeks, won't we?" Richard asked, as Emily slipped her hand into the crook of Richard's elbow.

Luke nodded. "We'll be there, Richard. Emily."

"Luke?" Emily addressed.

"Yeah?"

"I think mother is more appropriate, wouldn't you agree?"

Lorelai's mouth dropped open wide enough to catch flies. _Mother_?!

"Uh… er… I… yeah, I… I guess," Luke stammered, clearly as spun out as Lorelai was. This was SO out of character for Emily.

"Good then. See you at dinner."

She and Richard walked away, leaving the bride and groom stunned as they stared after them.

FOR THOSE THAT REQUESTED THIS, I HOPE YOU WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED AND FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE STORY. HAPPY DAY OR NIGHT TO ALL. AND SMILE TODAY, IT'S GOOD FOR YOU.

HIZZAH!


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